Sea Patrol IV: Strike First
by cdrsmith
Summary: [REWRITE OF: Sea Patrol: Surface Warfare] Alternate Series 4 onwards. Full summary inside. Rated M for adult themes, violence and coarse language. Mike/OC, Kate/Jim, Kate/Dutchy, Bird/Ryan. Part One of Sea Patrol: Surface Warfare.
1. A Bloody War or a Sickly Season

**_DISCLAIMER: _**_I don't own Sea Patrol or anything other than the plot of this story and my original characters._

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**Sea Patrol: Strike First  
****_A Sea Patrol fanfiction by cdrsmith  
Part One of _Sea Patrol: Surface Warfare**

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**_SUMMARY: _**_When Mike Flynn _finally_ takes a promotion at the urging of his boss, Commander Maxine White, and is posted to Naval Forces Command (NAVCOM) North as Maxine's Operations Manager and Chief of Staff, he is replaced by Lieutenant Commander Maddison "Maddy" Norton, a laid-back yet quietly confident Warfare Officer nine years into a life in the Navy. The transition from Mike to Maddy is complicated by personal connections and the winds of change, there is a New Generation Navy coming and Maddy must steer _Hammersley_ through the tough times to come..._

**_Author's Note: _**_In this story there are sixteen _Armidale_ class patrol boats; the fourteen _real_ boats along with HMA Ships _Hammersley_ and _Kingston_ featured in the _Sea Patrol_ series. The abbreviations for enlisted ranks used in this story are taken are mostly taken from the Royal Australian Navy website. This story is alternate universe from the middle of Season 4 Episode 1._

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**Chapter One: A Bloody War Or A Sickly Season**

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_Twenty-four sailors from every walk of life, of every age and temperament, living literally cheek by jowl for week after week, away from family and friends sometimes for months at a time in seas of all conditions with temperatures often in the high 30s. It's a pressure cooker that can bring out the best, and sometimes the worst, in all of them – man and woman alike. It calls upon reserves of devotion to duty, tolerance, obedience and of course humour, way beyond that which most people possess. Blue skies, white sands, throbbing motors and star filled nights. Explosive action and monumental stillness, a closeness to nature. The awesome beauty of tropical waters, its wildlife, and the terrifying intensity of tropical storms. Mysterious events and deadly consequences. At sea, man is at his most lonely and vulnerable, entirely at the mercy of capricious Mother Nature's unpredictable winds and waves. It's a special kind of person who chooses to live and work "on the edge" like this. They form bonds of mateship that will never be broken._

_Patrol boat sailors say their job is the best in Navy. A small boat and its crew, facing real dangers – not just war games. __Every hour of every day, in all weather imaginable, these young men and women of the Australian Patrol Boat Group battle the elements, and the odds, to defend Australia's borders and enforce its economic zone. They provide security, support, and relief for the world's largest island. Honour. Honesty. Courage. Integrity. Loyalty. These are the Royal Australian Navy values and they are the cornerstone of any successful crew. This is it, the real deal..._

_THIS IS SEA PATROL - everyday heroes doing an extraordinary job!_

**Cairns International Airport  
****Aeroglen, Cairns Region LGA, Queensland, Australia  
****1002 Hours Local - Forenoon Watch**

Lt. Cmdr. Maddison Norton, known only as Maddy on pain of death, or to her closest of friends as Mads, stepped off the Qantas Boeing 737-400 jet and was immediately assaulted by the incredibly intense humidity of Far North Queensland. Even dressed as she was in her Summer Regular Day Dress, or "summer whites", she was fully aware that just about every male on the flight had been sneaking glances. She knew that men found her attractive, but she found this frustrating and felt it took away from her position as a leader. At five feet four and a half inches, Maddy was practically bang on average height and with what one ex-boyfriend in her teen years described as curves in all the right places, the brunette naval officer could have quite easily taken up a career as an actor or a model, or even as a surfer.

Slipping her cover on her head as her feet hit the tarmac, Maddy thanked her lucky stars that "rig of the day" (as the British call it) to report in to her new command was summer whites rather than Winter Ceremonial Dress ("winter dress blues") or even Winter Regular Day Dress ("winter blues") like she had been wearing just a week ago when she returned to Sydney and reported to Fleet HQ at HMAS _Kuttabul_ after her posting as an exchange Warfare Officer on board Royal Navy destroyer HMS _Edinburgh_ had ended. Less than three days after she had returned to Australia, she had received a phone call from a former mentor of hers, Cmdr. Maxine White, known as Max to friends, and behind her back by the bravest of sailors as "Knocker", asking her to take a billet at HMAS _Cairns_ under Max's command.

As the crowd dispersed away from the plane, Maddy caught sight of a sailor standing beside a nondescript blue sedan parked nearby. Making her way towards the car, she was met halfway by the sailor who she now noticed wore the insignia of an able seaman personnel operations sailor on his summer whites. The sailor stopped before her in the brace position before executing a textbook, picture perfect salute and addressed her, "Lieutenant Commander Norton? Able Seaman Personnel Operations Sailor Tom Garrett. I'm here to drive you to Naval Forces Command Northern Region Headquarters for your meeting with Commander White."

"Thank you, able," Maddy replied, returning the salute before gesturing the junior sailor to lead the way.

**Headquarters, Naval Forces Command Northern Region  
****HMAS _Cairns_, Cairns Region LGA, Queensland, Australia  
1044 Hours Local - Forenoon Watch**

After a twenty-two hour flight and a car trip which seemed to just drag on and on, Maddy was finally led into the office of the Commander, Naval Forces Command Northern Region (COMNAVFORNORTH), coming to attention in the brace position, a faint grin on her face as she looked directly of the Commander's shoulder and said, "Lieutenant Commander Maddy Norton, reporting as ordered, ma'am."

Commander Maxine White flashed a smile of her own before coming business-like as she addressed Maddy, "Stand at ease, Commander, and welcome back to Cairns." The stern forty-one year old blonde naval officer gestured her protégé into one of the two chairs in front of her desk. "Maddy, I'm afraid that I told you a slight fib when I said I wanted you to fill a shore billet at NAVCOM."

"Uh, ma'am?" Maddy asked, looking confused about whatever Maxine could mean by such a cryptic statement.

The look of confusion gradually turned to comprehension as Max explained, "The billet her at NAVCOM HQ will hopefully be taken by another friend of mine currently serving as the CO of HMAS _Hammersley_. He's turned down three separate promotions in the last twenty-four months, but after his heroics with the American Ambassador this morning, not to mention the call from a staff officer to the Commander Australian Fleet, I suspect he will find the next person to ask rather difficult to turn down."

"Now you have me curious, ma'am," Maddy said, leaning forward in her seat.

"Well let's just say that the Admiral will be calling after the _Hammersley_ docks," Max informed the junior officer with a twinkle in her eye.

"Very devious," Maddy smirked, tacking on "ma'am" only when Max raised an eyebrow and looked expectantly at her.

**1502 Hours Local - Afternoon Watch**

A loud knock on the doorframe at the entry to her office caused Max to look up from her laptop and smile as she caught sight of her old friend and academy classmate, Lt. Cmdr. Mike Flynn. "How's the hand?" she asked, referring to his actions the night before when he had saved the American Ambassador to Australia, Steve Davis, from an assassination attempt.

"Just a flesh wound, Swaino patched me up," Mike replied, brushing off the inquiry and ignoring the slight twinge in his hand as he flexed it slightly.

"Mike, sit," Maxine said, her smile turning to a frown as Mike made no effort to move.

Shaking his head, Mike was bordering on insubordination when he replied, "Thought I might just hang by the door. Quick getaway... ma'am."

"SIT!" Max ordered this time, her voice changing from friendly to stentorian when Mike continued to remain near the door. When Mike finally sat down, Max continued to talk, "Unfortunately, there's been a blanket on the press, so the public are never going to learn about your heroics..."

"I can live with that," Mike assured her casually.

"... but the people that matter," Max said sternly, silently chastising him for his interruption, "however, have been fully briefed. I've just been reading an email from the Admiral and he wants to know why Mike Flynn is being so stubborn about this blasted promotion?"

"Let me guess," Mike said, waving his hand near his head as if he were trying to capture psychic waves, "Now, don't tell me, he's been speaking with his old mate the ambassador?"

"I have had Ambassador Davis on the phone too, chewing my ear off. It seems you've been doing your job just a bit too well," Max said, ignoring Mike's smile which at one time would have made her feel weak-kneed.

"Hey, look! My godson!" Mike said, picking up the picture of Max's son Ryan from her desk, making a desperate attempt to change the subject. "How old is Ryan now? Sixteen?"

"Nearly eighteen, don't change the subject Mike," Max shot back, chastising him once more.

"Please, Maxine," Mike begged, or whined, Max thought.

"The office next to mine is free, you can't sit in a CO's chair forever!" Max gave Mike a reality check, hoping he would finally cave.

"I wasn't thinking forever, just the next year or three," Mike assured Max, and she silently cursed him before having yet another answer but then inwardly smirked when the phone rang and she new that Mike would have three stripes rather than two and a half by the end of the day.

As she picked up the phone and covered the mouthpiece for a moment, Mike grabbed his cover and made a dash for the door. At another time, she would have thought it quite humorous, but this time, she was quite annoyed, and barked out "Wait!" before uncovering the mouthpiece and actually answering the call. "Commander White," she said, pausing a moment while she waited for the response. "Yes sir... yes sir... just a moment sir..." she continued looking up at Mike who suddenly paled as he realised what was happening. As Mike this time made his dash for real, Max muttered to herself, "Chief of Navy, if you're determined to stall on this, you're going to have to explain it to the boss yourself." She banged on her window, calling out, "Lieutenant Commander Flynn!" before watching with satisfaction as Mike realised that he had no choice now but to speak to the boss.

Steeling himself, Mike walked back into the office and took the phone from Max, shooting her a withering glare as he did so. "Mike Flynn," he said and waited to hear the voice on the other end.

_"Lieutenant Commander Flynn, this is Vice Admiral Logan Morrell,"_ the voice on the other end of the line said, and Mike recognised that it was indeed the recently promoted Chief of Navy and he had a sneaking suspicion that he would be in a shore-based commander's billet by the end of the phone call.

**1511 Hours Local - Afternoon Watch**

When he finally gave the phone back to Max to hang up, he shook his head in disbelief. Max smiled at him indulgently before gesturing him back into a seat. "Now that the Admiral has brought you around to our way of thinking, _Commander_," Max said, placing extra emphasis on the lack of lieutenant in Mike's new rank, "how about we bring in your replacement? She'll be working closely with you in your new role as Operations Manager, Naval Forces Command North."

"Are you going to give me a choice, Max?" Mike asked, now enjoying the fact that, despite him still wearing lieutenant commander shoulder boards until the quartermaster arrived, he was now the same rank as his old friend.

Max looked thoughtful for a moment. "No, not really," she told him with a grin as she caught the attention of her yeoman and gestured for him to send the next CO of Hammersley into her office.

When Mike turned around, curious about the identity of the woman taking command of his "old girl" - as he still thought of Hammersley - he was hard pressed to keep his jaw from bouncing off the carpet in Max's office. It had been five years, but he would recognise the young face and latent youthful exuberance anywhere. Something that Mike HAD forgotten in the intervening years was how her girl-next-door looks had turned a fair few heads when she reported to his command for her first sea duty out of Seaman Officer Training, and, looking at her now, he assumed they still did, wherever she went.

When Lt. Cmdr. Maddy Norton stepped into her mentor's office for the second time that day, she stopped dead and stared in disbelief as she recognised the man who she was replacing as CO of HMAS _Hammersley_. Five years had passed since she had served as Executive Officer to Lt. Cmdr. Mike Flynn when he was in command of HMAS _Balikpapan_, a landing craft heavy based out of HMAS _Coonawarra_ with just two officers on board. Back then, Mike had been the object of unspoken desires for many of the women at the small Darwin base with a grin that would give any woman an attack of weak knees, and even now, when Maddy knew he must be approaching forty, she could still see that he was fit enough to be considered a "hunk" by many women.

Inwardly smirking at the reactions of her two friends, Max decided to break them from their musings by completing what was, she could tell, a completely pointless introduction, "Commander Mike Flynn, meet your replacement, Lieutenant Commander Maddy Norton." When Max spoke, Maddy blushed prettily at being caught staring while Mike looked momentarily uncomfortable for the same reason before they each caught themselves and the conversation continued.

"I think we've been set up," Maddy noted as she offered her hand to her first commanding officer. "It's good to see you again Mike."

"Yes, I think we have," Mike agreed dryly, shaking Maddy's hand while simultaneously shooting another glare at Max who, he noted, was looking altogether too smug sitting behind her desk. "It is good to see you as well Maddy. How have you been?"

"I've been good, been a bit starved of any patrol boat service lately, just came off eighteen months of officer exchange with the Brits," Maddy explained. "What about you? I hear you just saved the American Ambassador's life?"

"It was nothing," Mike waved the praise off, wincing slightly as his hand once again twinged.

"Modest as always," Maddy smiled reminiscently before the sound of a clearing throat interrupted the impromptu catch-up session.

"Now Mike, if you will excuse us, Maddy and I need to work through the logistics of the change in command," Max said, gesturing Mike out the door.

"Uh, sure, I'll go and get my new office ready," Mike nodded, returning the small wave from Maddy before leaving the office and closing the door behind him.

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*COMNAVFORNORTH = Commander, Naval Forces Command Northern Region

_**Author's Note: **Speech in parts of this chapter are taken directly from Sea Patrol Season 4 Episode 1 "_Night of the Long Knives_" and the introductory section is taken partially from the fanmade Sea Patrol website._


	2. Anchor's Aweigh

**_DISCLAIMER: _**_I don't own Sea Patrol or anything other than the plot of this story and my original characters._

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**Chapter Two: Anchor's Aweigh**

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**Headquarters, Naval Forces Command North  
HMAS _Cairns_, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia  
1619 Hours Local - First Dog Watch**

Lt. Kate McGregor sighed in relief as she stepped from the oppressive humidity outside into the cool, air-conditioned comfort of NAVCOM North Headquarters. Removing her cover, Kate walked down the corridor running along one side of the building which held all the private offices, looking for her commanding officer who had brought her to the building by way of a cryptic text message. When she reached the office next to Maxine's, she nearly dropped her cover in surprise as she saw the sign on the door reading _Commander Mike Flynn - Operations Manager and Chief of Staff_.

"Congratulations, commander," Kate smiled as she stepped through the doorway and found Mike sitting at his new desk, looking like a kid in a candy store as he spun his chair back and forth, picking up and returning the phone to its cradle, brand spanking new shoulder boards bearing the triple gold rings of a full commander.

"Thank you, X," Mike replied as he looked up to find Max also walking into his office. "Uh, Maxine, this is Kate McGregor. Kate is my... was my executive officer on Hammersley," Mike explained.

"Kate, good you're here," Max said with a smile, gesturing out the door. "Hammersley's just been given the order to sail at eighteen-hundred. Come with me and I'll introduce you to your new CO."

"Uh... yeah, I better go," Kate nodded helplessly, gesturing to Mike that she had to follow Max. She felt a little hurt that Mike didn't look overly sad as he shrugged and nodded.

When Kate entered Max's office, she caught sight of the beautiful brunette woman already seated in a chair in front of the desk. Wondering to herself where the new _Hammersley _CO was, she was surprised when she was asked to sit and the COMNAVFORNORTH got straight down to business. "Now, I have no doubt that this will be a change for you both. Lieutenant Kate McGregor, this is Lieutenant Commander Maddy Norton, and she will be taking Commander Flynn's place as CO of Hammersley," Max explained, introducing the two officers.

"Ah, so you must be my first lieutenant?" Maddy asked with a smile, offering her hand to Kate.

"First lieutenant?" Kate looked confused.

"Oh, right sorry!" Maddy apologised. "You must be my new Executive Officer? First Lieutenant is the Pommy name for XO."

"Call me X, everyone on the crew does," Kate smiled, finally shaking hands with her new boss. "So does this mean you're British?"

"Okay X, I guess to save confusion, on board ship call me Skipper! But no, I'm not British, but my parents were I have just spent eighteen months as a warfare officer on HMS Edinburgh as part of the Officer Exchange Program," Maddy explained with a smile.

After the introductions were out of the way, Max pulled three service records out of an imposing pile of folders and handed them to Maddy and Kate to look over. "Lieutenant, I believe you mentioned to me last time you were here that Hammersley had been short staffed since Lieutenant Caetano, Petty Officer Tomaszewski and Seaman Webb left?" she asked, looking at the blonde officer.

"Yes, ma'am, I did. Commander Flynn and I had been working double watches with Swain and Charge just to cover officer of the watch duties," Kate nodded, shuddering involuntarily at her remembrance of these double watches.

"Well then, you will both be especially pleased to learn that along with Dutchy's permanent transfer to Hammersley and I've also managed to wrangle you two new officers and a chief petty officer boarding officer which I believe will bring you back up to full complement, they will report to the ship at sixteen-thirty" Max explained as she watched the new CO and her XO flick through the service records. "Now, about the operation..."

**HMAS _Hammersley_ - _Armidale_ Class Patrol Boat  
16 nmi north of Gore Island, Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia  
0600 Hours Local - Morning Watch**

"Call the hands, call the hands. Wakey, wakey, wakey," Dutchy's voice echoed through the ship on the 1MC before the sounds of the _Hammersley_'s own wake-up song, "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC filled the small _Armidale_-class patrol boat as it slipped through the water off the coast of the world's largest island, Dutchy sharing a smile with the electronics technician 2Dads.

"Best wake-up song ever!" 2Dads enthused as he reclined in the helmsman's chair.

"Don't I know it!" Dutchy agreed, having served on big ships and having heard everything from hardcore rock to Beethoven used as a wake-up call.

"Another fine Navy day is it, Dutchy?" Maddy said with a smile as she stepped up onto the bridge, looking out at the horizon as she moved to stand next to Dutchy.

"Looks like it, ma'am," Dutchy nodded. Despite the short amount of time he had spent on this ship, this being just his second patrol, he could already tell that Maddy, or Skipper as she asked to be called, was in many ways a very different CO to the previous one, and yet in others very similar. Dutchy had noticed that both Mike and Maddy had a very "Australian" approach, get the job done and worry about the consequences later, but while Mike tended to get target fixation, Maddy had so far steered clear of this while still managing to get the job done quickly and efficiently. He also noticed that like Mike, and quite unlike the XO, the Skipper got on well with every member of the crew, from Charge the crusty sea dog right down to the wide-eyed and innocent Jessica Bird the Gap Girl.

"Any issues overnight?" Skipper asked, looking between the two enlisted sailors.

"No ma'am. Just a quiet night on the high seas," 2Dads said with that infectious and near incessant grin of his, just as some of the other crew members arrived on the bridge including the XO and the Swain.

"Excellent," Maddy said with a smile of her own. "Now that our operation is out of the way, I'd like to take the opportunity to get to know all of you better, and I think we could all do with a break. XO, announce shore leave for all crew not on watch from oh-eight-hundred. Operation Relax is in progress."

"Aye ma'am," Kate said before picking up the radio handset and switching to the 1MC (the ship's "public address" system), "Do you hear there? XO speaking. All crew not on watch will have shore leave from oh-eight-hundred. That is all."

**Orton Island Beach  
****Orton Island, Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia  
****1102 Hours Local - Forenoon Watch**

The secluded and normally silent Orton Island Beach off the coast of Far North Queensland was alive with the sounds of a rowdy patrol boat crew blowing off some steam as part of Maddy's "Operation Relax", spearheaded by a light-hearted but still highly competitive game of touch rugby. Every member of the crew who had not been required on board ship for watch were on the beach, similarly clad in swimwear, which mostly consisted of board shorts and either singlet tops or bare chests for the men or bikini tops for the women, all of them glad of the opportunity to shed their Auscam Disruptive Pattern Naval Uniform (DPNU) for a few hours. Over the course of the morning, Maddy had, as she had planned, spent her time getting to know her crew better, many of whom she had only said a few words to through the course of their 11 day long operation. Taking a few moments to catch her breath, she pondered just what she had learned about her crew. The officer left in charge of the watch during Operation Relax was one of the newer members of the crew, Third Officer Sub Lt. Brandon "Rusty" Hamilton. Originally from country New South Wales, the redhead officer was relatively new to the Navy and to driving patrol boats, but so far had been doing well. A old-style country gentlemen, Rusty was the politest member of any crew that Maddy had ever served with.

The other two officers under her command were sitting off to the side, the senior imparting some of her wisdom and experience on the junior. Act. Sub Lt. Rick Shaw, dubbed simultaneously as "Artie" by the new boardo and "Rattles" by Charge, was fresh out of his commissioning ceremony and had been posted to Cairns to learn from some of the best small boat commanders in Australia. He was extremely charismatic and had all the makings of a fine officer and future CO, but Maddy had also noted that he spent a lot of time alone reading a well-worn copy of some unknown novel. Lt. Kate McGregor she had already known by reputation long before she joined the _Hammersley_, knowing she had been given the nickname "Princess Perfect" at ADFA and at one point she had been on the fast track to get her star, at least until she served on a small patrol boat named _Hammersley_ and liked it so much that she stayed. Since then, the XO had prospered under Mike and Maddy already had a distinct feeling that she would be recommending her 2IC for a promotion within the next twelve months.

Maddy now took the time to look over at the enlisted members of her crew, and she watched as the ball was passed to the youngest member, Seaman Gap Recruit Jessica Bird, known almost universally by her surname only. Bird had only been aboard _Hammersley_ for a little over a month when Maddy had taken over, and the seventeen year old Melburnian had made no bones about the fact that she loves living and working in the tropics and is enthusiastic about all things to do with Navy life, except for the possibility of needing to use deadly force. Despite still being a teenager, Bird was a stunningly attractive young woman, and it was because of this that her presence was causing tension within the junior sailor ranks, especially causing jealousy from Able Seaman Chef Rebecca "Bomber" Brown. Bomber was one of the longer serving members of the crew, having been the "chefo" aboard _Hammersley_ since the commissioning of the _Armidale_ class boat in 2008. While Bomber still got on well with everyone, Maddy could see that the chef was rather vain, but because she had been aboard ship for two years she had come to be treated as "one of the boys", hardly spared an appreciative glances while both her new CO and the gap recruit got varying levels of appreciation from the single members of the mostly bachelor crew, and in a strange way, Maddy felt somewhat sorry for her.

Katie watched as Bird flicked a pass out to 2Dads who set off like a bull at a gate, cackling evilly. Leading Seaman Electronics Technician Leo Kosov-Meyer was a very confusing man. His double-barreled surname had gifted him the moniker "2Dads", but he copped it sweet, being a practical joker at heart. Katie knew from his service record that in the past he had had troubles with the law, joining the navy to avoid doing hard time, and that in his early months aboard he had caused troubles with the Navigator of the ship at the time, Lt. Nikki Caetano, since 2Dads was replacing her (dead) fiancé, but over time he had settled into his role on ship, and it now seemed that he was a valued member of the crew. He still loved to joke around, but at least now he knew not to cross the line and the crew had come to know that he could actually be relied on.

Katie then looked over at the ship's senior sailors which, despite two new arrivals, were a fairly tight-knit group. Chief Petty Officer Boatswain Paul "Dusty" Miller was the newest of the four senior sailors, but was also, as the Boarding Officer, the most senior enlisted man above decks and, along with the Buffer, the man in charge of leading boarding evolutions. Hard-working and dedicated, Dusty's fit-reps indicated that if there was anything about weapons, boardings or seamanship, it wasn't worth knowing. Chief Petty Officer Marine Technician Andy "Charge" Thorpe was not only the most senior enlisted man below decks, but he was the oldest and longest serving sailor on board _Hammersley_. Just like with Dusty, if there was anything Charge didn't know about diesel engines or the Navy and its traditions, it definitely isn't worth knowing, and despite his gruff exterior, Katie had seen a couple of hints that Charge had a heart of gold and would be willing to go out on a limb for the crew if needed. By his own admission, Charge was old enough to have served on every class of patrol boat that the Navy had used, serving for two months on the last of the _Attack_ class boats, moving onto the _Fremantles_ and finally serving on the _Armidale _class _Hammersley_. Charge loved his engines, and from what Skipper had seen, he loved them more than he did himself, his most frequent remark to Renae since coming on board was "my life isn't as important as these engines". Nevertheless, this old man of the navy was well loved by the crew and from what the new CO understood, had more than earned his place on board ship several times over.

The second newest of the senior sailors was Petty Officer Boatswain Dylan Mulholland, serving as the Chief Boatswain's Mate, the "buffer" between the four officers and the many enlisted on board the boat. Dutchy, as he was known thanks to his surname, had served two tours in the Gulf and was an expert on boardings, having boarded everything from FFVs to pirate vessels. Petty Officer Naval Police Coxswain Chris Blake, known to everyone as the Swain, was very close to the heart and soul of the ship. Well known to everyone and well respected, it is his job to maintain health and discipline while on board, operating as both medic and policeman, while also being the most experienced helmsman, the one who drove the ship during the toughest of evolutions, something he seemed to take great pride in.

Of the members of the crew she had most often encountered so far, that left just Leading Seaman Communication Information Systems Operator (LSCIS) Robert J. Dixon, known as RO, or Ro, was the ship's main link between itself and the shore, all communications be it internet, satphone or radio went through his console or the Communications Centre (ComCen) which Katie had observed was run like his own private kingdom and only his able assistants and of course the Skipper were allowed in there without permission.

Done thinking about her crew, Katie spotted her moment for more bonding, and a bit of showing off, shooting over from her position, intercepting a pass from 2Dads to Swain with a skill belying her small, lithe figure and taking off, running the full length of the makeshift beach rugby field before diving full length to score the try, rising to the raucous cheering and applause of the whole ship's company, well those not on watch at least.

The cheers were interrupted, however, by the sound of Dutchy yelling out from his position next to the esky. "Ma'am? It's Ro!" He informed her, holding up the portable radio to be clear what was going on. "NAVCOM has ordered us to Thursday Island, there was a collision between a coastal trader and a Navy ship, unknown number of casualties. We're the closest asset!"


	3. Ulterior Motives

**_DISCLAIMER: _**_I don't own Sea Patrol or anything other than the plot of this story and my original characters._

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**Chapter Three: Ulterior Motives**

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_**From Chapter Two:**_

_Done thinking about her crew, Maddy spotted her moment for more bonding, and a bit of showing off, shooting over from her position, intercepting a pass from 2Dads to Swain with a skill belying her small, lithe figure and taking off, running the full length of the makeshift beach rugby field before diving full length to score the try, rising to the raucous cheering and applause of the whole ship's company, well those not on watch at least._

_The cheers were interrupted, however, by the sound of Dutchy yelling out from his position next to the esky. "Ma'am? It's Ro!" He informed her, holding up the portable radio to be clear what was going on. "NAVCOM has ordered us to Thursday Island, there was a collision between a coastal trader and a Navy ship, unknown number of casualties. We're the closest asset!"_

**Orton Island Beach**  
**Orton Island, Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia**  
**1156 Hours Local - Forenoon Watch**

"A Navy ship? What Navy ship?" Maddy asked as all other sound on the beach ceased in disbelief.

"HMAS Diamantina, ma'am," Dutchy informed her promptly. "No more details at this point but the quickest they can get a medevac chopper there is over ten hours. HMAS Success is also en route to provide medical assistance but we are the closest navy ship."

"Okay, listen up everyone! We have a collision at sea near Thursday Island!" Maddy barked, taking control. "We have likely casualties. Swain, Bomber, Bird, I want the three of you to prep the wardroom. Let's stow this gear and get going. Time is of the essence here people!"

**HMAS _Hammersley_ - _Armidale_ Class Patrol Boat  
Off the coast of Cape York, Shire of Cook, the Coral Sea, Queensland, Australia  
1220 Hours Local - Afternoon Watch**

"Are we up and ready, X?" Maddy asked as she walked back onto the bridge deck, wearing the distinctive uniform of the Navy, the Auscam patterned DPNU that had been issued to all patrol boat crews just twelve months ago.

"Yes, skipper," Kate confirmed.

"Very well, set course for Thursday Island, top of the green!"

"Aye ma'am! Port 15, steer 3-5-0. Full ahead both engines, revolutions 2-0-0-0!" Kate nodded, turning around to address Dutchy sitting at the helm.

"15 of port wheel on, ma'am. Steering 3-5-0. Full ahead both engines, revolutions are 2-0-0-0," Dutchy confirmed as he set the new course and powered the engines up to full power.

"Very well, XO you have the ship and I'll be in my cabin if you need me!" Maddy told her second in command before turning and making her way down the stairs to her cabin on the deck below.

**Headquarters, Naval Forces Command - Northern Region  
****HMAS _Cairns_, Cairns Region LGA, Queensland, Australia  
1305 Hours Local - Afternoon Watch**

Mike sat in his office with the radio tuned to 106.7 ABC Far North when something of interest in the news caused him to turn the volume up higher, _"... a Department of Defence spokesperson has revealed yesterday that the_ _Royal Australian Navy will be receiving the first of a class of twenty vessels expected to replace four separate warship classes as early as 2012, Stephen Porter with the latest."_

_"__I'm here at Cairns Naval Base in Far North Queensland, where senior defence officials, including Chief of Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Logan Morrell, and Minister for Defence John Faulkner, gathered yesterday to meet with a team from Austal Shipbuilders, the company that built the Armidale class patrol boat and also the United States' Independence class, to discuss the acquisition of the new vessels._

_"__The new class of twenty vessels will be a smaller variant of the Independence class with a multi-mission capability allowing the ships to perform survey, mine warfare or patrol duties at various times, winning out against a design by Huntingdon Ingalls based on the US Coast Guard National Security Cutter. Minister Faulkner also revealed today that the lead ship will be named HMAS Hero, with the remaining ships of the class expected to be named for Australians who have won the Victoria and George Crosses and the Cross of Valour. The procurement schedule released to day shows that the first two vessels, Hero and the as yet unnamed second vessel will be launched and commissioned in early 2012, with two more to follow by the end of that year._

___"__The Littoral Multi-role Vessels, as Austal has dubbed them, will be multi-crewed, as are the Leeuwin and Armidale class boats they will replace. The final design for the LMVs is expected to be released to the public tomorrow morning, but we can reveal that the vessels will be capable of carrying and operating the Australian Air Force and Fleet Air Arm MRH-90 multi-role helicopter for helping with the vessel's multi-mission role. This is Stephen Porter, ABC News Radio."_ This news surprised him, especially since he had not been aware that the CDF, CN and Minister had all been in Cairns.

"Uh, sir? Commander White would like you in her office for her next meeting," one of the many junior officers at NAVCOM stuck his head into Mike's office to pass on the message.

"Thanks Lieutenant," Mike nodded, standing from his desk and moving towards the door.

* * *

"Ma'am, your 13:15 is here," Max's yeoman informed the two officers in Max's office.

"Very good able, send them in," Max said, nodding in recognition.

Mike looked on in surprise as the Chief of Navy was followed into the office by a young woman in her twenties wearing a British Royal Navy Blue No. 1C uniform with the sleeve insignia of a Sub Lieutenant, regaining himself quickly enough to snap to attention in front of his service chief. "Commander White, Commander Flynn, at ease. This is Sub Lieutenant Lady Amelia Gordon, and she is the Staff Officer to the Official Royal Navy Liaison in Canberra," V. Adm. Morrell introduced his young companion.

"Lady?" Max asked with a raised eyebrow.

"My father is The Right Honourable Earl of Dover," the young Brit explained, "and as I told the Admiral before, while I might be his heir presumptive I do not wish to use any noble titles while I am serving in the Navy. Please call me Flash, or Amy."

"If I may," Mike started, looking at the Admiral for permission to continue, "without meaning to be rude, aren't most earldoms only able to be held by men? Additionally, what can we do for the Royal Navy?"

"Don't worry, sir, I get asked that a lot. The earldom was created for my great-great-grand_mother_ and has special remainder that allows it to pass to both males and females. And what we need from the Royal Australian Navy is an escort for HM Ships Illustrious and Edinburgh from the north of the Samaru Islands through to Sydney, what with all the anti-monarchy protesting in Samaru since the coup," Amy explained.

"That makes sense, but wouldn't someone higher up the food chain normally take this job?" Mike asked wondering why a Sub Lieutenant was a staff officer to the Royal Navy Liaison, and why said staff officer was here rather than the Commodore holding the position of RNL.

"I should think so sir," Amy replied frankly. "My mother was a member of WRANS, an Australian, and she met my father while he was serving on board a frigate. I've been looking to emigrate anyway, so I think Admiral Stanhope might be trying to give me a leg-up towards joining your Navy, ma'am, sirs."

"I appreciate the frankness, Sub Lieutenant," Maxine admitted before stopping short, "wait...Admiral Stanhope?" Amy Gordon must be some officer to have the First Sea Lord trying to give her a leg-up the career ladder, joining another Navy, even.

"Yes, ma'am," Amy nodded. "Because the Samaru Islands are within reach of your operational area, and several patrol boats under your command have served in the Samaru Islands conflict, I think the Royal Navy Liaison and British Fleet Command had hoped that Naval Forces Command North might provide one of your Armidale class boats to escort Lusty and the Fortress of the sea through the Samaru Islands to HMAS Kuttabul," she added, explaining the RN's position.

"Understandable," Maxine nodded. "I'm assuming you would want to be on board during the voyage?"

"I think that is what Fleet Command and the Admiralty Board want of me, yes," Amy confirmed Maxine's thoughts.

"Very well. I think I can wrangle a boat for this. It will take a bit of jiggery-pokery, but I'll let you know ASAP," Maxine said after a few moments thought.

"Thank you, ma'am," Amy stood to leave, saluting Maxine as she did so.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Sub Lieutenant, just leave your contact details with my aide and I will contact you about that escort," Maxine said, and recognising the dismissal, Amy nodded her thanks then turned and left the office. "Now, Admiral sir, what can we do for you?"

"Just a heads up, Commanders, I was in Cairns and I was going to call all the NAVCOMs anyway. Parliament has just signed off on some radical changes to the military. These changes are going to be gradually brought in over the next few years," Adm. Morrell said, causing Mike and Max to share a look of shock, what they had just heard from the CN was not at all what was expected. Everyone knew that Parliament were talking about the military, but none of them expected anything to go through quite so soon.

"What kind of changes, sir?" Mike asked, not really sure if he wanted the answer.

"Big ones, Commander. Changes to the rank structure, as you heard, new boats are being procured, there's a new generation navy coming Mike, Max, and even talks of a unified Defence Command like up in Canada," The Admiral explained several shocking new snippets of news to the two Commanders. "I've got to get a wriggle on, I fly back to Canberra within the hour but I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone." With that, V. Adm. Logan Morrell stood and left the office, giving Mike and Max just enough time to salute before he was gone, leaving two shocked officers in his wake.

**HMAS _Hammersley_ - _Armidale_ Class Patrol Boat  
near Thursday Island, Shire of Torres, Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia  
1500 Hours Local - Afternoon Watch**

"Ma'am, we have the coastal trader and the Diamantina visual on the EOD," 2Dads reported as the patrol boat approached Thursday Island.

"Very good. Officer of the watch, bring the ship to FAIDEX stations. XO, I want you to lead this," Maddy ordered after a quick glance at the EOD to confirm the report.

"Aye ma'am," Kate replied.

"Aye ma'am," Dutchy echoed before picking up the microphone and speaking over the 1MC, "Do you hear there? Buffer speaking. We have sighted the stricken vessels and are preparing to render assistance. Hands to FAIDEX stations, hands to FAIDEX stations, hands to FAIDEX stations. Assume damage control state 3 condition Yankee."

_"Hammersley, this is the CO of the Diamantina, Lieutenant Commander Michael Johnson. You are a sight for sore eyes! Over," _crackled out of the radio.

Hearing it was the CO of the minehunter on the radio, Maddy took it from RO and replied, "Diamantina, this is Lieutenant Commander Maddy Norton, CO of the Hammersley. What's your sit-rep, over?"

_"Our hull has been breached and we are leaking fuel, but currently our pump seems to be keeping up with the inflow,"_ Lt. Cmdr. Johnson explained, _"we do however have injured on board. Three men were working in the engine room at the time of the crash. One has a broken leg, another two have head wounds. Over."_

"Very well, Diamantina," Katie replied, "Success is en route as well to lend assistance and to help tow both boats back to port. For safety reasons we are gonna recommend moving all your personnel across to Hammersley. Over."

_"I would tend to agree ma'am, I'll give the order and start moving personnel across, over,"_ the _Diamantina_ skipper agreed.

**1800 Hours Local - Last Dog Watch**

HMAS _Success _had finally arrived on the scene and all the personnel had been transferred off the two damaged vessels in preparation for towing them back to Cairns. Both _Success_ and _Hammersley_ were maintaining a safe distance from the boats which were now surrounded by a mix of seawater and fuel when another vessel approached the damaged navy ship. The dark blue cabin cruiser was still over a kilometre off but was approaching at high speed when a lookout aboard _Hammersley_ spotted it.

"Vessel on my starboard beam, this is Australian warship Hammersley," the voice of the XO blared over the loudspeaker. "You are entering a restricted area, turn north immediately!"

"The vessel is not stopping, ma'am!" Charge noted as he held his binoculars up to his eyes which were trained on the fast-moving cruiser.

"Give the warning again," Maddy ordered, "Charge three short blasts of the horn."

"Vessel on my starboard beam, this is Australian warship Hammersley," the voice of the XO blared over the loudspeaker. "You are entering a restricted area, turn north immediately or we will be forced to fire on you!" The message was punctuated by three short blasts from the ship's horn.

Not even warning shots from the Typhoon could stop the speedboat which never wavered from its course making a beeline for the crash sight. A rushed order came through from NAVCOM and once they were sure there were no civilians in range, a two shot burst sent the cruiser up in a ball of flames... a suspiciously big ball of flames.

"Something isn't right here, that boat must have been jam-packed with explosives," Maddy gasped out, holding her ribs which felt quite tender after having hit the console hard when the ship shook from the force of the explosion.

"Are you alright ma'am?" Swain asked as he too picked himself up off the floor.

"I'm fine," Maddy assured the ship's medic although the steeled look Swain could see on his CO's face suggested anything but, and he suspected that she was actually in quite a lot of pain. "Seriously Swaino!" she protested when Swain moved to check her anyway.

"With all due respect ma'am, you could have broken ribs," Swain shot back.

"Fine!" Maddy huffed and turned to her 2IC, "XO, take the ship."

"I have the ship, ma'am," the XO confirmed as the Skipper stalked off the bridge followed by Swain.


	4. Three Sheets to the Wind (Part One)

**_DISCLAIMER: _**_I don't own Sea Patrol or anything other than the plot of this story and my original characters._

* * *

**Chapter Four: Three Sheets to the Wind (Part One)  
**

* * *

**HMAS _Hammersley_ - _Armidale_ class patrol boat  
****HMAS _Cairns_, Cairns Region LGA, Queensland, Australia  
****1424 Hours Local - Afternoon Watch**

"Do you hear there? Captain speaking," Maddy's voice blared across the boat as the crew worked to moor it safely to the wharf. "The Hammersley is due to undergo maintenance for the remainder of this week and the whole crew has shore leave until Monday morning at oh-nine-hundred hours. Please be advised that the ship is still liable to be crash sailed if required so I highly recommend that you remain in the area and you remain in contact. That is all."

"So what will you being doing on your shore leave, skipper?" Dutchy asked as the crew filed off the _Hammersley_ to get out of the way of the marine techos already swarming all over the boat, most of them in civvies, but Maddy in summer whites.

"I'll be in and out of NAVCOM most of the week Dutchy, I've got reports to catch up on," Maddy said as she saluted the white ensign and walked the rest of the way down the gangway.

"Well are you at least gonna come out for a drink with us tonight, skipper, X?" the buffer continued, looking from one officer to the other.

"Nah, not tonight Dutchy, I've got a friend in town for a couple of days," Kate explained, shaking her head.

"I'm sure I'll be able to find the time," Maddy said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Excellent," Dutchy said with a grin, "2Dads owes us a couple of shouts from when we were last in Gove so the more he has to buy the better."

**Headquarters, Naval Forces Command - Northern Region  
****HMAS _Cairns_, Cairns Region, Queensland  
1500 Hours Local - Afternoon Watch**

"Oh, Mike?" Max said, grabbing the arm of her friend as he walked past on his way to the wardroom off to one side of the building.

"What is it Max?" Mike asked as followed his boss into her office, stopping to lean casually against her filing cabinet.

"I finally scrounged up a new XO for the Kingston, she reported to the ship this morning," Max held up a file as her reply. "I just wanted your take on my choice since you know her."

"Fair enough, Max, although I do trust your judgement. And you're OIC anyway so you don't need my input, but..." Mike trailed off as he actually opened the file and saw the photo of the new Executive Officer of _Hammersley_'s rival and sister ship HMAS _Kingston_. "Lieutenant Nicolina Caetano, huh? So you're sending Nav to the dark side?" he joked.

"I know I don't need your input, Mike," Max rebuked, "but she is the best qualified candidate and you know her better than any other officer at NAVCOM."

"I'm sure she will be an excellent XO for the Kingston, when she was on Hammersley she wasn't quite ready from command but back then she was still waiting for a vacancy at PWO training, and I'm sure Smudge will help her settle in," Mike said, he'd always had confidence that Nikki would one day be able to step up as an officer.

At that moment, Mike looked through the wide bank of windows that separated Maxine's office from the bullpen and noticed Maddy Norton walking past. Just then, she turned to see him looking, smiling brightly and waving before continuing on to wherever she was going.

Max watched the interaction with a calculating smile, especially when Mike raised his hand in greeting with a wry look, as if he was deliberately holding back. "I hope you know what you're doing, Mike!" she said, breaking her chief of staff out of his momentary stupor.

"Huh? What do you mean by that, Max?" Mike puzzled.

"Maddy likes you, Mike!" Max said firmly, trying to get it through Mike's thick skull. "From what I can see she's liked you for a long time but things have got in the way." Max sensed her opportunity to play matchmaker for her friends, although she was still unsure just why she wanted to. Nevertheless, she pressed home the advantage, "I know, and I'm sure that somewhere deep down both you and Kate know, that a relationship between the two of you would never work, you've been dancing around it too long. You and Lieutenant Commander Maddy Norton on the other hand..."

Mike's mental alarm bells were blaring, screaming at him to run away, so he interrupted Max, gesturing wildly towards his office, "I just have some paperwork I want to get finished before I head out for the day. If that's all, Max...'

"Yeah, that's all Mike," Max nodded with a smirk and Mike turned and left the office.

**The Grand Hotel  
****McLeod & Shields Sts., Cairns, Cairns Region LGA, Queensland, Australia  
****1754 Hours Local - First Dog Watch**

Any ambiance that the bar at the Grand Hotel might have had was shattered as the loud and rowdy crew of the HMAS _Hammersley_ walked through the doors, loudly greeting the publican and some of the local barflies before crowding around three tables in one corner of the bar. Maddy, on the other hand, strolled over to the bar and ordered a glass of House Shiraz before moving to take a seat at the same table as Mike Flynn who she had noticed waving her over.

"Fancy seeing you here Mike," Maddy said with a radiant smile as she took a seat opposite him. She took a moment to look over her superior officer, mentally grinning at how well he scrubbed up, even in something as something as simple as jeans and a shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbows.

"Yeah, fancy," Mike said with a smile. "You scrub up pretty well out of your uniform.' he added, inwardly cursing himself as soon as the words left his mouth. _"__You haven't seen her for seven years Mike, just 'cause Max says she likes you doesn't mean it's true! For all you know she has a boyfriend!"_ he berated himself mentally.

He was, therefore, surprised when her infectious smile grew even wider and her cheeks coloured slightly, and he admitted to himself that she was still very attractive in the same girl-next-door kind of way. "Thanks, Mike. You scrub up pretty well yourself," Maddy replied, taking a sip of her wine as she did so.

"So, you looking after Hammersley?" Mike asked, looking desperately to change the subject.

"Like a duck to water, Mike. I love the small boats, it's what I joined the navy, I remember watching Patrol Boat as a kid," she admitted. "It's a fine ship and a wonderful ship's company."

"Yeah, I vaguely remember you mentioning having a crush on one Andrew McFarlane?" Mike asked cheekily, before adding "Small boats are definitely the heart and soul of the navy."

"Yes indeed they are, but with all due respect, _sir_, if you ever mention **anything** about **any** of our conversations on the Balikpapan, I will drag you onto the Hammersley and **keelhaul you**!" Maddy replied lowly, putting careful emphasis on her threat.

Unbeknownst to Mike and Maddy, 2Dads looked across from his position with the rest of the crew and seeing the old and new commanding officers of _Hammersley_ in the midst of an animated conversation, he glanced at Dutchy and Swain and winked conspiratorially. Seeing this, Swain started shaking his head rapidly, "No, no, no, 2Dads, what are you thinking about this time? I know that look."

"I'm just wondering what Skipper and the boss are talking about," 2Dads replied, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Probably boring command stuff, 2Dads. Don't even think about it!" Swain said. "We're going somewhere else."

"Come on, buggaluggs!" Charge agreed, hefting 2Dads to his feet and near dragging him out of the bar, nodding amicably to the publican as they left. As Dutchy, Charge and Swain escorted 2Dads from the premises, they passed Lt. Cmdr. Darryl Smith and Lt. Nikki Caetano on the way in. Giving their orders to the publican, the pair walked over to join Mike and Maddy. "Darryl," Mike grinned, standing up to shake his friends hand. "And Nikki!" he added as Darryl moved aside and he was embraced by the Italian-Australian navigator-turned-Principal Warfare Officer.

Moving back, he gestured from Maddy first to Darryl then Nikki. "Maddy, this is Lieutenant Commander Darryl Smith, known as Smudge to some, and this is Lieutenant Nicolina Caetano."

"Mike! You know better!" Nikki chastised her former CO before she turned to Maddy with her trademark smile which was mirrored by the more senior officer, "Nikki, on pain of death."

"And, Darryl, Nikki, this is Lieutenant Commander Maddison Norton, commanding officer of HMAS _Hammersley_," Mike said completed the introductions.

"Maddy," the woman in question interjected with a playful huff when Mike used her hated full name.

"I believe you forgot to mention that she is your date, Mike?" Darryl smirked, having heard the rumours that had been racing around Cairns Naval Base even after they had only been seen interacting at NavCom.

Mike started gabbling something, which only got worse when Maddy grabbed Mike's arm and laid her head against his shoulder, resulting in Mike blushing bright red.

"You're not nervous about people knowing are you?" Nikki joined in on the attack.

"No, no, not at all," Maddy exclaimed, placing a kiss right on the corner of Mike's mouth, Mike looking like he was waiting for the earth to swallow him whole, especially when the remaining sailors nearby chipped in with wolf whistles, cheers and hollers.

**Lt. Cmdr. Maddy Norton's Residence  
****Jones Street, Westcourt, Cairns Region, Queensland  
****2143 Hours Local - First Watch**

Driving through the quiet suburban streets of Cairns, Mike glanced sideways at the woman beside him who was looking out the window towards her house. "It's just this one here, Mike," she said and he deftly pulled up in the driveway behind the Holden Astra sitting there, putting the car into park and engaging the handbrake.

"I'll walk you to your door," Mike said as he unclipped his seatbelt and stood from the driver's seat, dashing around to hold open Maddy's door for her.

As Mike escorted Maddy to her front door, she started to thank him, "Mike, you didn't have to. I'd only had a few wines, I could've taken a taxi."

"I know you could've Mads, but it's on my way anyway and I only had one light beer, so it was no trouble," Mike assured her as they stepped onto the portico and she had to scrabble around in her handbag for her house keys.

"Well thank you, Mike," Maddy finished sincerely, unlocking the house before turning back once more and kissing him chastely on the lips before heading inside. "See you at NAVCOM tomorrow morning!"

Mike stood stock still in his place for a few seconds, touching his lips absently with his fingertips before shaking himself and saying, "Uh yeah bye," even though it went unheard, as he returned to his car and pulled away.

**Headquarters, Naval Forces Command - Northern Region  
****HMAS _Cairns_, Cairns Region LGA, Queensland, Australia  
0745 Hours Local - Morning Watch**

"So what exactly are you doing in here so early, Mike?" Max asked from the doorway to her Chief of Staff's office.

Mike looked up with a wry smile, "Well I've got these op orders to go out to all the patrol boat COs today and they needed some fine-tuning. I thought I'd come in early and, with a bit of luck, be done early."

"You doing paperwork voluntarily?! Anyone would think you're trying to avoid someone," Max said offhandedly, but her eyes bulged when a guilty look crossed Mike's face. "You are? You're not avoiding Katie are you?" Max glared accusingly.

"Uh yeah, I am," Mike said, a thoroughly guilty look on his face.

"Why on earth are you avoiding her?" Max asked and Mike could sense that his academy classmate was starting to build up a dangerous head of steam.

"Because she kissed me," Mike said rather meekly and Max suddenly looked as if she lost all the wind out of her sails and her look softened slightly.

"She kissed you," Max repeated. "Katie kissed you and now you're trying to avoid her like an embarrassed teenager? Mike, she likes you! Get it into your thick skull!"

"But what about Kate McGregor?" Mike shot back.

"I told you yesterday! A relationship between you and Kate McGregor would never work because you've been dancing around it too long and she's lost faith, not to mention the fact that she fell in love with Jim Roth when she was supposed to be in love with you," Max ranted before stopping again, a slightly evil look crossing her face as she remembered one of her appointments for the day. "You let me worry about Lieutenant McGregor! You just make sure that you take a lunch break after Katie comes by to pick up the Hammersley op orders," Max added with a wink.

**1145 Hours Local - Forenoon Watch**

A knock on the door caused Mike to look up from his piles of paperwork momentarily before looking back down. "Enter!" he called.

He heard the door open and a nervous voice reached his ear, "Hi, Mike."

Mike finished signing a form with a flourish and looked up, smiling as he replied. "Maddy, what can I do for you?" he asked, mentally questioning why they both suddenly seemed to be acting like a pair of teenagers about to go on their first date.

"Well, I just finished the paperwork I had to get done today, and I was wondering if you were doing anything for lunch today?" she asked him by way of reply.

"That depends," Mike countered, silently cursing Max for putting him up to it, "on whether you are offering?"

Maddy blushed lightly, realising that she was caught out, but swiftly turned the tides. "Of course I am," she smirked, leaning demurely against the doorframe.

"Well, then, I guess I am," Mike nodded with a smile.

******The Grand Hotel  
****McLeod & Shields Sts., Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland**  
**1213 Hours Local - Afternoon Watch**

Mike opened the door for Maddy, gesturing her into the cool air-conditioned comfort of the Grand Hotel, located in the middle of Cairns. "G'day Mike, table for two?" The waitress asked as she walked over.

"Uh, yes thanks, Shirley." He nodded and Shirley led them over to a quiet table in the corner of the dining room, their summer white uniforms standing out in stark contrast to the rest of the patrons.

"What'll be, Mike?" The waitress asked, and Mike looked pointedly at Maddy, gesturing her to order first.

"I'll just have a porterhouse with vegies, thanks," Maddy decided after a few moments scanning the menu.

"Just my usual, Shirley," Mike added.

"Okay," The waitress nodded, making a note on her order pad. "Any drinks while you wait?"

Mike thought about it for a moment, decided that alcohol probably wasn't the best idea today, "Just water for me."

"Make it two," Maddy added before looking back at Mike, offering him an explanation. "I don't normally drink much, so that wine last night will probably last me the week," she said with a soft smile.

"Don't spread that around," Mike chuckled. "With Charge and 2Dads, and probably Dutchy too, around most of the locals are under the impression that us Navy folks drink to excess whenever we can. You'll ruin our reputation."

"Oh I wouldn't presume to ruin the Navy's reputation as a band of drunks," Maddy replied, smirking mirthfully, looking around conspiratorially.


End file.
